Acting strong

I can hear the audible gasps from them as I walk past. Their eyes undoubtedly boggling from the socket as they all gazed at me as if I were some sort of alien who came down to grace the world.

Had I not known better, I would have thought myself the devil based on how undivided their attention on me is.

Walking straight, I didn't pay much attention to the people standing there, I Just continued walking towards my family that was sitting on the right-hand side of the makeshift altar.

I can't see any of my siblings there, something that didn't come as a surprise to me. Knowing their father, he might have thought it is a preventive measure by making sure none of his siblings is around.

Who knows, the devil might end up choosing one of them instead of me, and that's an incident the king wants to avoid.

Walking towards them, I make sure the signature smirk I always wear is present on my face. This way they'll know I don't give a damn *I know I give a damn, but there's no way I am going to tell them that* about what's happening.

From the distance, I can tell how displeased they y dressing.

Their eyes say it more than their mouth will ever do. The judging expression on their face is one I've seen more times than I can count.

No doubt, they were expecting me to put on the

white bride's clothing, one they made to like the best family a person can ever have.

A family that wants nothing to do with me, not even my mother wants to have anything to do with her first son. They expertly and smoothly cut me off from the family tree, since I'm damned from the beginning.

Damned to get married to the devil, and live all my life with him. Damned to carry the cross of people who're not in the least grateful. Damned to be regarded as the devil's bride, damned from the very first beginning.

It's just not fair, I get to die the deaths of others. It's not fair I got to be the one sacrificed for the peace of others, it's just not fair.

"Good day." I bow to my parents.

Despite my anger and hatred of them, I can never be disrespectful to them, at least not in the presence of others.

It'll tarnish their image should I do so.

"What are you putting on?" Father asked In a low voice to prevent others from hearing him. Even now, the father is trying to protect his image, and act more like a caring father.

He's still trying to uphold his image, even though I'm to be given over to a sadistic entity.

It's like he doesn't care about me, isn't concerned with the fact I will be given over to a devil.

"A dress?" I smirk, "what else were you expecting me to put on? Don't tell me you want me to be naked on my wedding day?" I scoff.

" Don't act too wise with me, young man, why are you putting on something that wasn't given to you?"

" Today's supposed to be my wedding, isn't it? I think am free to do whatever I want with it." I give my silent mother a look.

Sitting beside her husband, dressed in a flowing pink gown, she looks like the queen she is. Regal and caring all at once, but I'm aware that's not the truth.

A caring mother can never let her son be catered to by someone who's not related to them. A good mother doesn't cut off ties with her children.

A good mother doesn't treat one of her children differently.

Aunt is more than a mother to me than my real mother can ever be.

Who knows, I might have turned out differently than I am now.

Looking at my mother made me feel the urge to remove my face from my body. Whenever I look into the mirror, I always have this urge to peel off my skin.

My face always reminds me of who it is that gave birth to me. It reminds me of the mother who regards me not as her child.

"I…"

The great doors opened, and the priest who's to join the devil and the poor human hastily walk in, looking like all hell is after him.

Sure enough, all hell is actually after him.

As a priest, binding a devil to a human is against the doctrine he preaches.

According to Aunt, it took everything to convince him to bind me to the devil. The king had to make use of his position as the head of the kingdom to make him agree to the binding, but even at that, you can tell just how reluctant he is.

Walking just like I did without sparring the people a look, the priest stops in front of my parents, bowing once to them, he continues to the altar that's specially set up for him.

An altar father made to please the priest.

"It's time." Standing from his throne, the king came to stand beside me. With his arm outstretched, he motioned for me to link my elbow with his.

"Lead the way, my king, you don't have to act all caring and such." I smile at him but made no motion to link our elbows together.

Doing that will make me look like a pathetic male craving his father's attention *not like am not that*, but there's no way I'll make him know how much I crave his attention, how much I crave his love.

"Son…"

"Let's go, you don't have to act fatherly with me. I've lived all these years without knowing the love of a father, you don't have to act as your care at all.

I know you don't care about me, let's keep it as such. There's no love between us."